Bob Hunter, 63; Canadian Journalist Was a Co-Founder of Greenpeace

Bob Hunter, a Canadian journalist who co-founded the environmental group Greenpeace, died Monday after a battle with prostate cancer, the organization said. He was 63.

Hunter, a columnist for the Vancouver Sun in the 1960s and most recently an ecology broadcaster for Canadian media, first came to prominence in 1971 with the launch of Greenpeace and its protests against U.S. nuclear testing. He brought public attention to the hunting of whales and seals, as well as the dumping of toxic waste into the oceans.

The thick-bearded Hunter once was named one of Time magazine’s top eco-heroes of the 20th century.

“Bob was a creative force in shaping Greenpeace,” said Bruce Cox, executive director of Greenpeace Canada. “His passion and his commitment translated into powerful communications, and his unorthodox approach to communications helped define Greenpeace.”

Hunter, who coined the phrase “Don’t Make a Wave” to describe his opposition to nuclear testing, boarded a small fishing boat, dubbed “Greenpeace,” in 1971 and set off to the Aleutian Islands to protest U.S. nuclear testing.

“I thought I was going to be a reporter, taking notes,” Hunter later said. “In reality, I wound up on first watch.” He remained on board for 45 days.

Hunter helped establish the in-your-face communication style that became a Greenpeace trademark. He became the first president of Greenpeace in 1973 and led it through its transformation into an international group that is now present in 40 countries, with more than 2.5 million members worldwide.

Hunter’s media savvy and passion for environmentalism were critical to the organization, said the group, which adopted the term “rainbow warriors” to describe Greenpeace activists.

More recently, Hunter was the ecology news specialist for two television stations in Toronto.

“Bob was an inspirational storyteller, an audacious fighter and an unpretentious mystic,” said John Doherty, chairman of Greenpeace Canada. “He was serious about saving the world while always maintaining a sense of humor.”

A native of Winnipeg in Manitoba, Hunter dropped out of school to become a writer. He worked for a newspaper in Winnipeg before landing in Vancouver, where he became the counterculture columnist for the Vancouver Sun. It was during that time that he became involved with an ad hoc group protesting nuclear testing. That group eventually became Greenpeace.

Hunter wrote several books over the years, including a history of Greenpeace, “The Greenpeace to Amchitka” (2004).

He is survived by his wife, Bobbi; four children, Emily, Conan, Justine and Will; and a granddaughter. Funeral arrangements were pending.